Container structure



N0 14 1944- A F. J. oBRn-:N l2,362,845

CONTINER STRUCTURE Filed June 20, 1941 Patented Nov. 14, 1944 UNITNEDf/{STATES PATENT o FFI CE Y 'n 2,362,845 t I CoNTAnSmR STRUCTURE, Frank J. OBrien, Pelham, Y., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York I Application-June 2o, 1941,`seria1 N6. 399,616 2 claims. Col.y 22o-s2) y :The-invention relates, generally tocontainer structures :adapted to receive'lbeverages or food products,` andk it primarilyl seeks toprovide a novel container structure having a transparent end closure effective toprevent ingress of foreign matter #-,while thecontainers are in transit or in storage prior toillingzthereof and through which .the interiors of the. containers can be inspected With-'great facility. prior to4 filling so asto insure against rther filling of containers having bits of foreign matter therein. 7

yIn the ypackaging of beverages and foodstuffs in metallicreceptacles it is essential that these beverages and foodstuffs be protected against direct contact with the 'metallic surfaces-of the containers, and for this purpose it is customary to providel the containers. with interior protective coatings of lacquer, enamel, or the like. These containers 'are shipped from the manufacturer to the user in partially completed state, l,that is with at least one. end thereof open, and are filled with '.the'beverage or food products by the user and then finallyse'aled for distribution and sale on the market. Obviously care must be exercised in avoiding the filling of 'containers which might have collected in the interiors thereofbits of for` eign matter `during'thedelivery of the containers to the user and storage by the user prior to the filling of Ytl'ie'containers. The present invention is directed tothe vprovision of a novel container structure which presents advantages in provid-r ingfa'protective lsurface interiorly of the .con-

tainer-after it' is filled, and also in providing a temporary transparent end closure which -Will permitinspection of theA containers'with great facility` prior to fillingl thereof so as to assure against the lling'of containers into which bits of foreign matter 'might have found their way during transit or storage.

An object of the invention is to lprovide a container structure having a transparent end closure through which the container lcan be interiorly in spected with great lfacility, said end closure being of a frangible nature, readily removable from the container if desired, or adapted to remain in the container after it is finally filled and closed to act as a protective medium preventing direct contact between the beverage or food product and 'the opposing end closure.

Another object of the invention is to provide l the several viewsill-ustrated in the accompanya container structure including a transparent end closure of the nature stated and which is so f applied to the container that the regular end closure intended to ultimately close the container after it has been lled` can be temporarily and ing drawing.

In the drawing: v V Figure 1 is a side elevation and part vertical cross sectional view of an inverted container em bodying the invention, the regular end closure intended to ultimatelyA seal the container being shown slightly separated from the endof the container.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the end closure applied over the transparent end member, loosely and temporarily.

Figure 3 is a vieW similar to Figure' 2 illustrating the end closure secured upon the container by the well known double roll seam.

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 2 illustratin'g a slightly modied attachment of the transparent end member.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross section illustrating a modifiedl attachment of the transparent end member in which said end member is secured straight across the flanged :bottom of the container. i

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 illusvtrating an additionally modified attachment of the transparent end member.

In the drawing, the invention is shown applied to a large type of metallic receptacle or container, said container being of the type securing seam. The container includes a ycone top 'I terminating upwardly` in a pouring throat 8 which is provided with an outwardly directed flange 9. l

The-open' bottom of the container is closed by a transparentend member I0 which is in the nature 'of a frangible skinor film of Cellophane including a .skirt portion II extending cup-like into the bottom of the container in the manner illustratedv in Figure '1, and an edge portion I2 conforming to the shape of and adhesively attached to the outwardly turned bottom flange 6. The end closure cap I3 includes a centrally depressed portion which provides a heel or skirt I4 receivable in the end of the container within the skirt portion I I of the transparent end member, and an outwardly directed flange I5. which is rolled into the Well known double roll seam during the ultimate closing of the container as illustrated at I6 in Figure 3. This cap or end closure is equipped with the usual sealing compound I'I which facilitates provision of a liquid tight seal.

When the containers thus formed are shipped from the manufacturer to the user at whose plant the filling and final closing of the containers take place, the pouring throat 8 may be temporarily closed against ingress of foreign matter by any suitable form of closure plug or dust cap, preferably a readily removable dust cap of the nature disclosed in detail in application for U. S. Letters Patent filed by John I-Iaycock on April 8, 1939, Serial No. 266,804, which has matured into Patent No. 2,288,903. The bottom end closures I3 may be shipped separately from the containers or .they may be temporarily inserted in the end thereof so that they can be readily removed prior to the filling of the containers. Thus protected at the top by the closure cap at the throat 8 and at the bottom by the end closure I and the end closure I3, or the transparent closure -IU alone, the container is protected against ingress of foreign matter in transit to the plant of the user or While stored at said plant.

When it is desired to ll the containers, this filling operation can be preceded by a careful inspection of the cans interiorly through the large` area transparent end member I0 in order to assure against the filling of any containers which `might have -bits of foreign matter therein. The containers preferably are filled through the throat 8, but it will be obvious that the frangible transparent end member III Acan be removed, if desired, and filling of the containers effected through the large open bottoms thereof.

It is preferred, however, that the transparent end members be permitted to remain on Vthe containers, and that the permanent end closures I3 be applied and secured in place thereover in the manner illustrated` in Figure 3, for in this manner each end member I0 serves as a protective skin or lm which is directly contacted by the beverage or food product in the container and prevents direct contact with the metal of the end closure I3. In containers thus formed and closed it is unnecessary to apply any lacquer or protective coating on the end closure I3.

In Figure 4 of the drawing lthere isillustrated a slightmodication of the invention in which the transparent end member Illa is extended beyond and around the outwardly directed edge of the container bottom flange and adhered thereto `as at I8.

In Figure 5 of the drawing an additional modification of the invention is illustrated in which the transparent end member is extended straight across the open bottom of the container, as at IIJb, and is adhered to the outwardly turned flange thereof as at I9.

In Figure 6 of the drawing there is illustrated still another slight modification of the invention in which the transparent end member Illc is provided with only a relatively short skirt portion which extends only part way over the outwardly turned container body flange and is adhesively united thereto as at 20.

It is of course to be understood that the details of structure and arrangement of parts may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

l. A container having a large area open bottom end closed by a foreign matter excluding transparent end member adhered to said container and through which the interior of the container can be inspected with facility prior to filling, and a bottom end closure intended to ultimately seal the container and temporarily applied thereto over said transparent end member prior to filling of the container, said transparent end member being cupped a distance into the container bottom end, and said end closure inciuding a depressed portion'removably receivable in and contacting the cupped portion of the transparent end member in a manner for sustaining the cupped condition thereof.

2. A container having a filling opening at its top end and a large area opening at its other end, the latter opening being closed by a foreign matter `excluding transparent end member adhered to said container and through which the interior of the container can be inspected with facility prior to filling, a single piece generally flat bottom end closure intended to ultimately seal the container and temporarily applied thereto over said transparent end member prior to filling ofthe container, said single piece end closure and the'container end which it opposes having outwardly directed flanges adapted ultimately to be rolled together in a container sealing seam, and said transparent end memberov-erlying the container end flange so as to be rolled into the seam between said flanges during the sealing of the container with the transparent end member forming a protective skin lying directly against said end closure throughout the whole of its area presented internally of the container thereby to separate food products or beverage in the container from direct contact with said end closure when the container has been filled and sealed.v

FRANK J. OBRIEN. 

